Fire Damages Park Visitor Center

Staff working in the park visitor center yesterday afternoon smelled smoke in a room that houses the replica Wright 1903 flyer and glider. A 911 call was made and the building was evacuated. The Kill Devil Hills and Colington fire departments responded along with the park’s wildland fire crew; rangers arrived shortly thereafter and secured the area. Active fire was found in the electric motor of an air handler and in the ceiling in the northeast corner of the room and was quickly brought under control. The building sustained some smoke and water damage. Firefighters employed fans to clear the smoke from the building. Evaluations of the damage to the building, glider, flyer and paintings housed in the room are being conducted at this time. Maintenance staff reported that the air handler was from an old heating and air conditioning system that was no longer in use, but that electrical power to the old air handlers had not been turned off when the new HVAC system was activated. The visitor center will remain closed, probably until at least tomorrow.